These Mountain Feelings
by ravengal
Summary: In Dragonshy, what happened that we never saw? Complications in the present cause Applejack to look back fondly on the day that she helped Fluttershy up the mountain... which, in turn, only creates more complications. Oh, dear. AppleShy. Tiny bit of CheeriMac.
1. Hidden In The Past

Author's note: Howdy! Well, here's my first attempt at writing Friendship Is Magic fanfiction. XD Being a brony is fun. Am I still a brony, even though I'm a girl? Meh, let's say I am.

(EDIT: I am no longer a brony, nor a pegasister. XP Instead, just call me a fan of the show. They don't mean the same thing in my eyes.)

Anyway, the first chapter is a flashback to something we never saw. The other chapters will be set in the present day. Also, the title of the fic is a pun. :P Try to figure it out.

This chapter came out rather short, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Lol.

Also, yes, this is femslash. Yuri. Shoujo-ai. It's very popular among bronies. Don't like it? Well, no one's forcing you to read it. :P

EDIT: All details in the fic that contrasted with season 2 have been fixed. If this happens again in the future, details will be fixed accordingly.

**Chapter One: Hidden In The Past**

Applejack continued to pull the lifeless Fluttershy by her pink tail, determined never to stop pulling until they, at least, caught up with the rest of their friends higher up the mountain. The pegasus pony, utterly terrified of something or other, was lying flat on her back, stiff as a board, and was acting as dead weight. It wasn't as if the earth pony minded too much, though. She understood that Fluttershy was easily frightened and, unlike Rainbow Dash, was willing to do something to help her.

Speaking of Rainbow Dash, Applejack did find it quite strange that Fluttershy was afraid of heights, since she had wings. Heck, if _she_ had wings, she'd be using them to their full potential, just like Rainbow Dash did all the time. She wasn't about to leave Fluttershy stranded, though. She understood that everypony had their own fears. Just as it was possible for an earth pony to be afraid of things on the ground and for a unicorn to be afraid of objects moving on their own, it was possible for a pegasus pony to be afraid of heights.

It also didn't help that the dragon at the top of the mountain kept snoring every so often. With Fluttershy being scared of her own shadow, it was no wonder that the rumbling snoring was rendering her motionless with fear.

Stopping, Applejack panted, already tired from dragging Fluttershy this far, and glanced at the pegasus pony. She was still lying flat on her back, but her eyes were no longer wide with fright. Applejack took this as a good sign and smiled.

"Hey, sugar cube..." she said, "dya think you can walk now? I'm getting kinda tired, tryin to pull ya."

"Oh..." Fluttershy mumbled, "sorry..." She slowly tried to push herself up. "I think I can walk now..."

"Oh, good." Applejack shook Fluttershy's tail off her head.

Fluttershy finally stood up, trying her best to smile. "Thank you, Applejack..."

"T'ain't no problem, sugar cube. Now, come on. Let's head up the mountain."

Fluttershy suddenly looked scared again. "Oh... o-okay..."

They began walking at a slow pace, Applejack making sure not to speed up and make Fluttershy feel like she was abandoning her. She did somewhat think that either Rarity or Rainbow Dash should have been the one to take Fluttershy a different way up the mountain, since they were the elements of generosity and loyalty, but she wasn't complaining, really. She liked the pegasus pony. She was very cute, what with her fear of anything and everything, very sweet and very gentle. She would never hurt a fly.

She was very different from the group's other pegasus pony, Rainbow Dash. That girl was brash, tactless and somewhat narcissistic. Rarity shared that narcissism, but was a girly girl, always more concerned with her appearance than anything else. Twilight Sparkle was really intelligent, very into books and a bit uptight. Pinkie Pie was random, loud and playful. She loved them all dearly, but it would be difficult to tolerate just one on their own.

It was different with Fluttershy, though. Whereas Rainbow Dash got impatient and frustrated with the pegasus pony, Twilight Sparkle got pushy and insistent with her and the rest somewhat ignored her, _she_ felt oddly calm, collected and patient around her.

"At this rate, we'll get there a mite faster than we would if I was draggin ya.'

"Y-Yeah..."

"I gotta tell ya, though... it's mighty refreshing, going for a hike up this mountain."

"Oh?"

"Yep. Having lived all my life on Sweet Apple Acres, I ain't _never_ been up here before. O' course, it's not like I'm complainin or nothing. I do love buckin apples, don't ya know?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"Heck, it's my cutie mark and I'm gosh-darn proud of it. In fact, my special talent has _always_ been apple-bucking. Dunno why it took me so long in my childhood to realise it."

"I-I see..."

"It's like _you_, Fluttershy. Just like how _my_ special talent is apple-bucking, _yours_ is dealing with critters. It's why ya got butterflies on your flank."

"Yes, but..."

"Oh, I know you're scared. I understand that... but we got a job to do and it requires your help. If we make sure to get it done as fast as possible, will ya help?"

"Well..."

"See, you _are_ the element of kindness... and you're the only one in our group who's good at dealin with animals."

"But..."

Applejack smiled at Fluttershy. "Come on. I know you can do it. You'll have my full support behind ya when ya talk to that dragon."

Fluttershy froze on the spot, shaking. "But... B-But... I..."

Applejack also stopped, turning to face Fluttershy in concern. "Sugar cube? You okay?"

"I... I..."

"What's wrong?"

"I can't... can't..."

"Aww, sugar cube... whatever it is you're afraid of, you're gonna have to push it aside for now. I don't wanna push ya, but we need to get up the mountain." Fluttershy didn't move. "Fluttershy?"

"Can't..."

"It's just one dragon. You can handle one dragon... and don't worry about the height. I'll be right beside ya the whole time. I won't let ya fall."

Fluttershy made a squeaking noise. "H-How big will this... one dragon be?"

Applejack blinked as she considered this. "Well, gosh-darn... I sure as hay don't know. Probably about the size of an Ursa Minor, if it were standin on its hind legs. Maybe bigger."

"U-Ursa... M-Minor?"

Fluttershy was silent for a few moments, before screaming and falling to the floor. She curled into a fetal position and shuddered violently.

"Sugar cube!" Applejack rushed over and fell down beside her. "Sugar cube, are you okay?" Fluttershy only mumbled in response. "Aww, sugar cube..." Applejack threw her front legs around Fluttershy, cuddling her close to comfort her. "It's alright. I'm here. Shhh... It's okay." Feeling the shuddering slow down slightly, she nuzzled the pegasus pony's face. "It's okay..."

They lay like that for a while, while Fluttershy slowly stopped shuddering. Applejack wasn't sure when, but, somewhere along the line, her heart began to pound with admiration and affection for the pegasus pony. Fluttershy was trying so hard to be brave, but everypony had their weaknesses. Heck, her _own_ weakness was her stubborn pride, but, since she'd managed to overcome that, she was certain that Fluttershy would overcome hers, too. It didn't mean that their flaws disappeared, because _she_ was still a stubborn mule sometimes, it just meant that they didn't rule their lives anymore.

Besides this, it felt oddly right to be cuddling up to Fluttershy like this. She couldn't explain the fluttery feeling inside her chest, but she knew that it felt wonderful, almost as if her front legs _belonged_ around Fluttershy. Unable to resist an affectionate smile, she gave the pegasus pony another nuzzle.

"Hmm?"

"Time to get up now, sugar cube. We still got a lot of hiking to do."

She actually didn't want to let go, instead desiring to stay cuddled up like that forever, but she knew that their other friends were waiting for them. Not to mention, they had an important mission from Princess Celestia to carry out.

Fluttershy blinked, then blushed. "Oh, right... sorry..."

"T'ain't no problem." Applejack lifted herself off Fluttershy, while the pegasus pony pushed herself to her feet. "We ready to go now?"

Fluttershy beamed. "Oh, yes. Thank you, Applejack."

"My pleasure." She turned around. "Now, let's shake a tail hair and get up to where our friends are."

"Okay."

The two began walking and Applejack was finally content that Fluttershy was making progress. She could still feel the tingling on her skin and the fluttering in her chest, but she brushed it aside. This was no time to be dwelling on strange new feelings, after all. Instead, she decided to strike a conversation about something other than the task ahead, so as not to scare Fluttershy again.

"So... how do ya think Spike's gettin on with your little critter friends?"

"Oh... well... I don't know... I'm sure Spike's very capable..."

"But?"

"But... um... Angel Bunny can be a bit... well..."

"A bit what?"

"Um... difficult? Especially with ponies he doesn't know very well."

Applejack chuckled. "Oh, I see."

"But... I don't think I'd, um..."

"Don't think ya'd what?"

"Um... I don't mean to sound rude toward the other ponies in Ponyville, but... I don't think I'd rather have anypony else watching over the animals."

"That so? Well, I reckon ya got a good head on ya there, Fluttershy."

"Oh! You think so?"

"Sure as sugar do!"

"Well, thank you, Applejack. I appreciate that."

"Sure thing!"

"Oh, I hope Angel isn't misbehaving _too_ much..."

"Aww, don't worry. I'm sure Spike can handle his little self, so don't you worry none."

"Well... okay."

Suddenly, a loud snore erupted from the top of the mountain. Applejack heard Fluttershy shriek, before a sudden thud met her ears. She spun around, only to see that Fluttershy was, once again, on her back, stiff as a board and eyes wide in fright.

Applejack sighed. "Here we go again..." She paused to study the situation, trying to figure out how best to get the pegasus pony back on her hooves, when she figured that she'd probably only fall over in fear again. She sighed for the second time. "Aww, forget it." Lying down, and facing her body away from Fluttershy, she picked up the pink tail with her teeth and again tied it around her head with her front hooves. Once it was secure, she stood up. "Alrighty, then. Off we go!" She began dragging her the rest of the way.


	2. A Present Surprise

Author's note: Howdy again!

Alright, for all who didn't get it last time... chapter one was a flashback. Okay? Which means no dragons.

This chapter is set in the present day, after wherever canon ends. A long time after Dragonshy.

Also, the chapter title is a pun. XD Cue the fail tune.

**Chapter Two: A Present Surprise**

It was a bright spring afternoon in Sweet Apple Acres. Grinning at the sunbeams that were falling on the apple orchard, Applejack bucked the nearest tree. The hit was just hard enough to cause one pile of apples to fall into the basket at her waist, but not hard enough to empty out the tree.

Proud of her work, as always, she allowed herself a smirk as she headed home. Not that she liked to brag, but she was unquestionably the best in Ponyville at what she did. The amount of power put into a single double kick could determine how many apples fell out of a tree and the _position_ of that kick could determine which direction the apples fell. Boy, she loved being a member of the Apple family.

Glancing around, she wondered where her boyfriend was at the moment. She hadn't seen much of him the past couple of weeks, but that was understandable. She'd been pretty busy in the orchard lately, so _he_ was probably just as busy at the blacksmith's.

She smiled at the thought of Caramel. The sweet and timid pony had approached her last Hearts and Hooves Day, telling her that he'd liked her for a while. He'd said that he admired her strength of both mind and body and that he found her Southern accent very charming. She'd been rather surprised by this. She'd always considered him a very sweet pony, although very disorganised and forgetful. It would always irritate her how this particular colt would always lose the grass seeds on Winter Wrap Up Day. She continued to wonder why _he_ was always the one assigned to _look after_ the grass seeds.

His best friends, Noteworthy, Coconut and Lucky Clover, had been nearby, watching the whole confession in support. She'd also found out later that they were the ones who'd convinced Caramel to go through with the confession in the first place.

She'd given him a chance that day and she didn't regret it even now, three months later. It felt nice to have a boyfriend, somepony who cared about you as a bit more than a friend. There were just some feelings that a filly didn't experience with her friends.

"Hey! Applejack!" Apple Bloom said as she bounded over. "What're we havin for lunch? Apple fritters? Apple tarts? Maybe apple dumplins?"

Applejack chuckled at the enthusiasm of her little sister. "Well, shoot. Whatever ya want, Apple Bloom. Big Macintosh chose yesterday and Granny Smith the day before that. It's your call."

"Sweet! Okay, I pick apple dumplins!"

"Alright. Then apple dumplins it is!"

* * *

><p>"Sweetie Belle caused me <em>so<em> much trouble the other day," Rarity said across the outdoors cafe table, "you would not _believe_ it."

Fluttershy stopped sipping her hay smoothie. "Oh," she replied with a faint smile, "I'm sure it wasn't _that_ bad."

Rarity huffed. "Oh, _please_. Darling, you honestly don't know how _lucky_ you are, never to have had any siblings. They are simply a _nightmare_ sometimes."

"Well... I _have_ always wished I had a little sister. I mean, it'd just be so nice, having someone younger than me in the house, you know? Maybe to help me take care of the animals."

"I suppose." Rarity moved her mouth towards her straw, but stopped when she saw it was too far away. "Sweetie Belle _is_ a rather adorable thing, but she causes _so_ much havoc... and when I have deadlines to meet, too!" She used her magic to move the straw closer and took a sip of her hay smoothie. "_Oh_, how you _continually_ manage to foalsit her and her friends without going insane is beyond me, I swear!"

Fluttershy chuckled. "Well, they're nice fillies, deep down."

Rarity chuckled along with her. "I guess you're right." She leaned across the table excitedly. "_So_, are we still on for the spa later?" She leaned back and fluffed her curly purple mane. "I've been simply _dying_ to get a little pampering, ever since meeting that recent deadline."

"Of course. I'd love to go the spa later."

"Fabulous!" Rarity paused, looking elsewhere. "Oh, isn't that Applejack's boyfriend over there?"

"Hmm?" Fluttershy looked where Rarity was looking and saw Caramel talking to Noteworthy. Her spirits dampened at the sight of him. "Oh... yes, it is..."

Rarity huffed. "Honestly! I still can't _believe_ Applejack managed to get herself a handsome colt before _I_ did! Not that Caramel is my type, but all the same..."

Fluttershy looked back at Rarity. "Well... you're happy for her, right?"

Rarity smiled. "Oh, of _course_ I am, darling! It's just that, with _my_ refined appearance, it would only be second nature to assume I would be in a relationship first! Am I not correct?"

"Well..."

"True, Applejack _is_ a hard worker... and she _is_ rather strong and dependable... and I suppose some colts may _like_ that sort of thing..."

While Rarity was in her own little world, Fluttershy took the opportunity to look back at Caramel. She wasn't sure why, but she'd always feel uncomfortable whenever she saw him and Applejack together. Her friend always looked so happy with her new boyfriend that she couldn't help but feel happy for her, but, for some reason, she always felt a strange desire to pull Caramel away from Applejack. She had no clue why. Perhaps she was secretly jealous that Applejack had found somepony and she hadn't? Perhaps she had a crush on Caramel? She didn't _think_ she had a crush on the blacksmith, but crushes had a way on sneaking up on ponies when they least expected it.

"Hmm..."

"Helloooo! Earth to Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy snapped her head back to Rarity. "Oh! Sorry... Yes?"

"Dear me, Fluttershy. You seemed to be away with the fairies there. Something on your mind?"

Fluttershy felt so embarrassed at being caught daydreaming. "Oh... no... I'm just..."

Rarity shook her head. "Well, whatever's bothering you, I'm sure our trip to the spa later will clear it right up." Her face brightened. "Ooh, I simply cannot _wait_ for the mud mask and massage! They will be simply _divine_ after the stresses of late!"

Fluttershy chuckled uncomfortably. "Yeah..."

"Cupcakes~!" a perky voice sang. "So sweet and tasty, cupcakes~! Don't be too- Hey, guys!" Pinkie Pie suddenly bounded over to their table. "Fancy meeting you two here!" She stared in awe at their drinks. "Ooooh, hay smoothies! When was the last time I had a hay smoothie? It must have been a while back! I've been so busy eating cupcakes and regular cakes and muffins lately that I completely forgot to treat myself to a hay smoothie!" She giggled.

Fluttershy smiled. "Oh... hello, Pinkie Pie."

"Yes, hello!" Rarity said. "What brings _you_ to this fine cafe?"

"Well," Pinkie Pie replied, "nothing really, 'cause I've already eaten. I was just bored and thought I'd wander around town for a while! And I fed Gummy too, before I left! That little guy has such a _huge_ appetite! He can eat and eat and eat and eat and eat, until he dies!"

Rarity gasped. "Oh, my, that reminds me! I _completely_ forgot to feed Opalescence this morning! Oh, she's going to be _so_ grumpy when I get home! I'm sorry to dash off, Fluttershy, but this is an emergency!"

"Oh, no problem, Rarity," Fluttershy replied. "I'll catch up with you later?"

"Oh, yes, please do!" Rarity galloped off. A few moments later, she galloped back. "Silly me." She lifted her drink up with her magic. "I forgot this." She galloped off again. "See you later, Fluttershy!"

"Okay. Bye."

A pause followed the conversation, where Fluttershy awkwardly observed Pinkie Pie, not too sure what to say to her. The earth pony was smiling obliviously to herself.

"So! Wanna know what Gummy had for breakfast? The little cutie pie just simply loves loves _loves_ his mouse soup!"

Fluttershy's breath caught in her throat. "M-Mouse... soup?"

"Well, yeah! I mean, he _is_ a carnivore, after all, so he can't survive on grass and hay, or even cupcakes! You know how hard it is to find a carnivore pet? _Really_ hard. You know, with us being ponies and all? Anyway, I always buy his mice from the pet store! They tend to come frozen, but, since Gummy has no teeth, he can hardly eat anything solid! I still don't get why they don't sell them readily made into soup... so, yeah, _I'm_ always the one who has to make them into soup! It's not a job I particularly _like_ doing, but, hey, Gummy needs his food!"

Fluttershy's stomach churned violently. She simply couldn't bear the thought of eating any of her lovely little animal friends. "How... nice..." She pushed her drink away with her hoof.

"Isn't it, though? Ooh, are you done with your hay smoothie? If you are, can _I_ have it?"

"Sure."

"Yay!" Pinkie Pie lurched forward and pulled the drink towards her with her teeth. She then started slurping away at the straw. "Mmmm..."

Once Fluttershy shook away the horrible images and calmed her stomach down, she looked back at Caramel, who was still chatting avidly to Noteworthy. There was that feeling again. She really couldn't place it, but it was some form of uneasiness. It always got worse whenever he was with Applejack, though. It was really bothering her that she didn't know what it was.

"Hmm..."

"Ooh, Fluttershy, do you have a crush on Caramel?"

Fluttershy jumped, snapping her attention back to Pinkie Pie. "Huh?"

"The way you were looking at him just then made me think you _do_!"

"Well..."

"It's alright if you do, but, just remember, the guy has a girlfriend right now!"

"I know..."

"And I don't think she'd be too happy if she knew about that, you know?"

"Well... Applejack's a nice filly..."

Pinkie Pie blinked at her. "Applejack? Who said anything about Applejack?"

Fluttershy was confused. "Huh? But... you said..."

"I _said_ that Caramel's girlfriend wouldn't be too happy if she knew you liked him! She gets kinda possessive, you know."

"She... she does?"

"Oh yeah! I've seen her! But, I have to admit, the two of them look soooo cute together!"

Fluttershy gave a small smile. "Yeah, I guess they do."

"Sassaflash is so lucky, don't you think?"

Fluttershy snapped back to attention. "What?"

"Sassaflash! His girlfriend, duh!"

Fluttershy was horrified. "His... girlfriend?"

"Yep! Didn't you know? He got back with his ex a couple of weeks ago! Why? Who did you _think_ I meant?"

Fluttershy didn't speak for a few moments. "But... what about Applejack?"

"Applejack? Well, she broke up with him _weeks_ ago, right?"

"N-No..."

Pinkie Pie blinked. "Oh..." She paused, then giggled. "Then I guess they must be _sharing_ him! How _about_ that!" She bounced up and down. "Ooh, I had no idea!" She paused. "Oh! I just remembered! I need to go find Rainbow Dash to pull some pranks with her!" She bounded away. "See you later, Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy sat, frozen, on her seat of hay. Caramel was cheating on Applejack? With his ex that he'd broken up with half a year ago? Contrary to what Pinkie Pie thought, there was no way that Applejack knew about this. She just wasn't the type to share her boyfriend with anypony else, let alone somepony she barely knew, like Wind Whistler.

Applejack simply had to know. Not only that that, but _she_ had to be the one to tell her. The question was: how would she go about telling one of her best friends that her boyfriend was cheating on her? Fluttershy whimpered against the table.


	3. Caramel Apples

Author's note: Now that my exams and assignments are over, it's pony time! Enjoy!

**Chapter Three: Caramel Apples**

Applejack lightly chewed a blade of wheat between her teeth as she stared up at the sky. Honestly, there were times where she couldn't believe that she hadn't wanted to be a farmer as a foal. In her humble opinion, it was the best job in the world. Not to mention, it was just so peaceful, once the apples were bucked, cooked into delicious treats and eaten, and she could just relax on the cool afternoon grass like this. Not to mention, she'd really outdone herself on those apple dumplings earlier and Apple Bloom had really enjoyed them.

She was idly wondering what her five best friends were currently up to when she suddenly spotted something yellow slowly floating in her direction. She squinted at it, lowering her hat against the bright sunlight to get a better look, and discovered that it was Fluttershy. She'd recognise that long pink mane anywhere. She smiled, spat out the blade of wheat and stood up to greet her.

"Hey there, Fluttershy!" she called out.

Fluttershy didn't seem to have noticed her, as she squeaked and dropped out of the sky. "Oh!" she replied, then muttered something that Applejack couldn't hear.

Concerned, she trotted over to her. "Land sakes, are you okay?"

Fluttershy's head shot up to look at her. "Oh! Um... yes, I'm fine..."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. It had been a while since Fluttershy had spoken so meekly to her. The girl had made such progress since the dragon incident hay knows how long ago.

"Everythin alright there, sugar cube?"

Fluttershy appeared startled. "Hmm? Oh, um..." She stood up. "No... I mean, yes! I mean..."

"Is somethin botherin ya?"

Fluttershy scuffed the grass with her hoof, looking anywhere but at Applejack. "Well..."

Applejack smiled. "Come on, you know ya can tell me anythin! I won't go shootin my mouth off to anypony. That's a promise!"

Fluttershy slowly turned to look her in the eyes and she was startled by how much pain was in those baby blue orbs. "Well..."

Applejack knew it was serious by the look on Fluttershy's face. Her smile dropped. "What is it, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy gulped and took a really deep breath, then held it for a second. "... I think Caramel's cheating on you!"

Applejack's heart skipped a beat. She stared at Fluttershy. "P-Pardon?"

All of Fluttershy's resolve seemed to vanish. She ducked her head and whimpered. "I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

Applejack scowled, suddenly angry. "_Pardon_?" She hadn't meant to snap and regretted it when Fluttershy curled up into a ball on the grass. She forced her voice to soften again. "What are ya talkin about, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy whimpered again. "P-Pinkie Pie said that..." She muttered the rest of the sentence.

Applejack felt her blood boiling, but tried to stay calm. "Pinkie Pie said what, now?"

"... She... she said that... C-Caramel is dating... S-Sassaflash..."

Applejack's eyes narrowed. "Is that right...?"

"I... I'm sorry... I don't know if it's true... I..." Fluttershy took another deep breath, then started talking really fast. "I just thought you'd wanna know, since he's your boyfriend and all, because I really don't think you're the type to wanna share him, so I didn't think you'd _know_ that he was with Sassaflash, so I just thought-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Settle down there, sugar cube... So, you think my boyfriend's cheatin on me?"

"I dunno... maybe..."

Applejack looked up to see Ponyville in the distance. She scowled deeply at it. "If that's true, then I think I need to have a word with Caramel..."

"... You... you believe me?"

Applejack disposed of her scowl to smile gently down at Fluttershy. "Of course I do. We're friends, right? Friends gotta trust each other. If _you_ think Caramel might be cheatin on me, I ain't gonna ignore that."

Fluttershy stared in wonder at her, blushing slightly. "Oh... okay..."

Applejack looked back up at Ponyville. "Besides, of all the ponies, you're the least likely to lie." She scowled again. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find a certain colt..."

* * *

><p>Applejack paid no attention to anypony as she made her way to her destination: the blacksmith's. She didn't believe for a second that Fluttershy was lying about Caramel – she knew the pegasus pony only had her best interests at heart – but the fact that he <em>might<em> be cheating on her made her furious. If it really _was_ true... Well, she'd get to that part later. Spotting the blacksmith's, she made a beeline for it.

Reaching the door, she glanced at the 'open' sign before opening the door. She immedaitely saw who she was looking for. "Caramel?" she called out.

The colt in question, who'd been hammering at a horseshoe that was held down with weights, looked up at her grumpily with the hammer still in his mouth. He paused at the sight of her, then smiled.

"Hey, Applejack," he replied.

"Mind if I come in for a bit?"

"Not at all." Trotting inside, she closed the door behind her and watched him go back to his hammering. "So, what can I do for you?"

Applejack decided to take the conversation slowly. "Oh, nothin. Just seein how you're doin an all."

"Oh." He put the hammer down, moved across the room to where another horseshoe was sitting on a table, and propped himself against the table with his front hooves. He then picked up a paintbrush with his teeth, which was coated in light purple paint, and started spreading it on the horseshoe. "Well, I'm doing fine, thanks."

"That's good... So, who are ya makin new horseshoes for?"

He put the paintbrush back in its can. "Berry Punch. She said something about wanting to impress Minuette. I thought it better not to ask."

"Uh huh."

He looked at her. "Is there something wrong, AJ?" He lowered his hooves to the ground and turned to face her. "You don't often come to my workplace to talk."

She stared intently into his blue eyes, trying to determine the truth, but it was impossible. "Well, there _is_ somethin I need to ask ya about."

"Oh? What's that?"

She took a deep breath. "Are ya seein Sassaflash?"

His eyes widened and he stepped back, bumping into the table. "Wh... What would give you _that_ idea?"

She frowned. His behaviour was awfully suspicious. "Are ya seein her?"

"Where... Where did you hear this?"

She stomped a hoof. "Never mind where I heard it! That ain't important! What's important is if it's true!"

Caramel stared in fear at her for a moment, then hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Applejack..."

"... So, it _is_ true..."

He scuffed a hoof on the floor. "Well, yes..." His head shot up again. "But I never meant for it to happen! I really did break up with her... but a couple of months after I starting seeing _you_, she came back and apologised..."

"And ya didn't think to tell her that ya had a _new _girlfriend?"

He scratched the back of his neck and avoided her eyes. "I wanted to... but I couldn't... See... Flash may be a bit possessive and stuff at times, but... she's funny and playful... I just couldn't say no to her when she begged to get back with me..."

"And ya didn't think to break up with _me_?"

"... I couldn't. I do really like you, Applejack. I never lied about that... so I didn't have the heart to do it..." He tried to smile at her. "Heh. You _could_ say I'm a 'mite cowardly'..."

Applejack glared at him, shaking her head in disappointment. If there was one thing that she couldn't stand, it was dishonesty. "I have nothin more to say to you." She turned and walked towards the door.

"Wait! Applejack!"

She didn't stop walking as she pushed open the door and headed outside. "We're through, Caramel. Just like ya wanted."

"I'm sorry!" He began to trot after her. "I... I love her! I couldn't turn her down because I love her!"

She closed her eyes. "I don't ca-!" Bumping into somepony caused her to open her eyes again. "Begging your pardon..." She suddenly noticed who it was. Her eyes widened. "Sassaflash?"

The pony in question was standing outside of the blacksmith's with very wide eyes, one of which was twitching slightly.

"... Caramel?" she asked quietly.

"Flash!" Caramel cried in horror from the doorway.

Applejack blinked at the blue pony. "Uh, how much of that did ya hear?" she asked.

Sassaflash lowered her head, so that her blonde bangs were covering her orange eyes. "I heard enough..." she replied.

"Flash, sweetheart!" Caramel cried. "I-It's not as bad as it looks!"

"Not... as bad... as it looks... huh?"

"N... No..."

Sassaflash's head shot up, her face contorted in fury and her wings snapping open behind her. "How _could_ you, Caramel?" Applejack jumped at the fierce tone in the pegasus pony's voice. "After everything we've _been_ through? Didn't I _tell_ you that I wasn't going to share you with _anypony_? How could you _do_ this to me?"

Caramel suddenly got angry. "Hey, I didn't _mean_ for this to happen, okay?"

"Horse manure! You played me like a fiddle and you _enjoyed_ it!"

"I did _not_! It was tearing me up inside the whole time!"

"You wouldn't have messed us both around if it bothered you _that_ much!"

"Don't pretend you know what's it's like to be me!"

"I don't _have_ to pretend! It's _obvious_!"

Applejack thought that now would be the best time to leave. She wasn't thrilled at the idea of staying there, stuck between two quarrelling lovers, especially since _she_ was the thing they were quarrelling over. She quietly snuck away, while Caramel and Sassaflash continued to scream in each other's faces.

* * *

><p>Fluttershy was nervously waiting for Applejack's return in the very place that the earth pony had left her. She'd been so scared earlier, dredging up every inch of courage that she had deep within her to tell Applejack what she knew. She'd had no idea how the earth pony would take the news. She'd also been afraid that Applejack wouldn't believe her, but she knew better now. If there was one thing that Applejack valued, it was honesty. It really warmed her heart to know that the farm girl trusted her enough to believe her.<p>

Now, though, she simply couldn't relax. She'd tried sitting down numerous times, but she was incredibly nervous about what Applejack was possibly going through at the moment. If the rumour really _was_ true, she couldn't afford to let the farm girl deal with it alone. She had no first-hand experience in relationships herself, but she was willing to bet that finding out your boyfriend was a cheater would be pretty rough going.

Suddenly, she spotted something orange on the horizon. Squinting at it, she could just make out a blonde mane and a cowboy hat. Instantly recognising Applejack, she rushed over to see how the earth pony was doing.


	4. In Truth

Author's note: Gosh, I'm balancing a lot of fics here. XP Ah well. Here's some pony, starring my favourite pony couple!

Also, a pedal is the bone inside a hoof. You will need this knowledge for later.

**Chapter Four: In Truth**

"Applejack!" Fluttershy called out, trotting to a stop by her earth pony friend. "Are you okay?"

"Mmm," Applejack replied, staring at the grass.

"... How did it go?"

Applejack slowly lowered herself to the ground. "You and Pinkie were right, Fluttershy..."

Fluttershy gasped in horror. "Oh no! You don't mean...?"

"Caramel was datin Sassaflash behind my back."

"... But... but... hadn't they broken up already?"

"Yeah... only, he loves her, apparently." Applejack scoffed. "She came crawlin back and he had the gall to go out with _both_ of us!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry..."

"T'ain't _your_ fault, sugar cube... I'm glad ya told me."

"... Did... Sassaflash _know_?"

"Funny enough, she didn't. She was downright furious with Caramel for cheatin on _her_, too."

"Oh, Applejack..." Fluttershy maneuvered herself and sat down beside the farm girl. "I'm sorry I didn't find out sooner. If I _had_, I would've..."

"It's alright. Nopony was expectin _this_. Ponyville's normally an _honest_ town."

"I know, but..."

Applejack looked up and smiled faintly at her. "Now, don't you worry none. This ain't your fault, ya hear?"

Fluttershy ducked her head, still looking at the earth pony. "Okay..."

Applejack turned away and stared wistfully into the distance. "Ya know, Caramel was always a weird colt, anyway... If anypony was happy when _he_ in a bad mood, he'd immediately hate em for a day. Happened a few times with Pinkie and Twilight."

Fluttershy straightened her head. "He'd hate them for being happy?"

"Yup. He'd say it was like they were mockin him, bein happy when he wasn't. Pretty selfish, actually." Applejack paused. "It's no great loss, _really_. I mean, he made me happy, sure, but I know for certain that I didn't love him."

This lifted Fluttershy's spirits slightly. "You didn't?"

"Nope." Applejack paused again, then lowered her head to the ground. "Although I'd be lyin if I said it didn't hurt... and you know I can't lie worth an apple."

Fluttershy felt her heart break. "Oh, Applejack..."

Suddenly, she was reminded of a similar situation that had taken place a long time ago. That time on the mountain, when Applejack had comforted her. Taking inspiration from the memory, she wrapped her front legs around Applejack and snuggled into her coat.

"S-Sugar cube?"

"Shhh... it's okay..."

Applejack fell silent, so Fluttershy took that as a sign to continue cuddling her and they stayed that way for a while. Gosh, this brought back memories. This was just like back on the mountain, when Applejack had been cuddling and nuzzling her. A fluttery feeling entered her stomach as she remembered all that the earth pony had done for her. She'd helped her when nopony else would. It was true that the other four would gladly help her _now_, but, back then, only Applejack had volunteered to do it.

The longer the two of them lay there, the more she began to think about that day so long ago. She'd been so petrified of that dragon, the mere thought of it causing her to freeze up in terror, but Applejack had been her knight in shining armour and had come to save the day. No words could ever describe how grateful she'd been to her on that day. Heck, when Twilight Sparkle had been bugging her to talk to the dragon, she'd hidden behind Applejack. That was honestly where she'd felt safest at the time. It was oddly fortunate that Rainbow Dash had angered the dragon, otherwise she would never have had the courage to speak to him at all.

She nuzzled Applejack and beamed at her. Back when the earth pony had done this to _her_, she'd felt so special, so loved. It was no different _now_. She had butterflies in her stomach and was blushing in happiness, knowing that she was paying her lovely friend back for the kindness she had shown back then.

There were also a number of things that she admired about Applejack: her physical strength, her mental strength, her honesty, her unending devotion to her friends and, even, her stubborn pride. The farm girl had put up quite a fight against an insistent Twilight Sparkle when harvesting her apple orchard one year. It was admirable that she'd tried to do it all by herself. Admirable, though rather silly.

"Thanks, Fluttershy."

"Hmm?"

Applejack turned to her and smiled. "Thanks for cheerin me up."

Fluttershy was momentarily caught off-guard by the sight of Applejack blushing, but smiled gently back. "You're welcome, Applejack."

There was a pleasant silence for a while, until Applejack looked up at the sky. "Huh. Looks like we were lyin here longer than I thought."

Fluttershy looked up and noticed that the earth pony was right. "Oh yeah."

"... Well, I guess I can't lie here _all_ day. I promised I'd help Apple Bloom with her homework... and, knowing my little sis, she'll need a push to get started, too."

Fluttershy was rather disappointed. It felt nice having her front legs around Applejack. It almost felt like they _belonged_ there, so she wasn't quite ready to let go just yet. It was such a weird feeling.

"Yeah..."

"Ya got somewhere to _be_ today? You could hang out with my family, if ya like. Maybe help me with Apple Bloom."

Fluttershy smiled again. "Oh, that would be-!" She paused, her eyes widening as she remembered something. "Oh no! I... I think I'm late!"

"Late? For what?"

Fluttershy pulled her front legs off Applejack. "I have an appointment at the spa with Rarity. If I don't hurry, she'll wonder where I am!"

"I see." Applejack beamed. "Well, then, get along to your spa treatment. I wouldn't want ya to miss _that_. Not to mention, Rarity'll get pretty freaked out if you're not there soon. Ya know how she is."

"Yeah."

"She'll get all 'Darling! Where _were_ you? I thought you'd forgotten our _appointment_! You kept me waiting _so long_! Did something happen? Oh, tell me! Tell me, tell me, _tell me_!'"

Fluttershy giggled at the Rarity impression. "Oh, Applejack."

Applejack waved a hoof in the direction of Ponyville. "Get along now."

"Okay." Fluttershy stood up. "You know, you should really join us at the spa again some time. Maybe try out their mud baths and sauna. Ooh! Or get one of their amazing hooficures."

Applejack chuckled and stood up. "Well, I'll admit that place gives a pretty darn good massage... but all that fancy-shmancy girly stuff ya just mentioned is _Rarity's_ territory, not mine. I'm a farm pony at heart and always _will_ be."

"Well, okay." Fluttershy turned around. "I guess I'll see you around, then?"

"I'm sure ya will, Fluttershy." She raised a hoof and waved it. "Take care!"

Fluttershy raised a hoof and waved back. "You, too. Bye!" She galloped off.

* * *

><p>Applejack walked into her house and shut the door behind her. Her heart was still thumping madly in her chest at what had just happened, so she took some calming breaths to rid herself of the adrenaline rush.<p>

Big McIntosh walked casually into the room. "Hey, AJ," he said.

"Hey, Big McIntosh," she replied.

"You've been gone a while. Everythin okay?"

"Uh... yeah..." Applejack looked away and sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "I just... had some issues to deal with."

"Issues?"

"... I'm not seein Caramel anymore."

"You're not?"

She lowered her hoof and looked at him. "Nope."

"Why not?"

"Well..."

"Oh dear..." Granny Smith said as she hobbled in, "and he seemed like the perfect boyfriend for ya, too."

"Yeah... well..." Applejack forced a wide smile. "It just wasn't, uh, workin out, ya see! We had to go our separate ways, 'cause of... complications!" There was a pause. "Yup."

"Applejack, dearie... we all know ya can't lie worth an apple."

"Eeeyup," Big McIntosh agreed.

Applejack deflated. "Aww, pony feathers," she replied. "Well, I wasn't technically lyin, anyway. There _were_ complications."

Apple Bloom trotted into the room. "Applejack?" she asked. "You're not datin Caramel anymore?"

Applejack felt a tug at her heartstrings. "No, Apple Bloom. I ain't."

Apple Bloom pouted. "Well, why _not_? I was lookin forward to him one day bein my big brother!"

Applejack's mouth twisted at that comment. She knew that Apple Bloom had been very keen on her marrying Caramel, but the idea of doing that _now_ disgusted her.

"I'm sorry, but he cheated on me."

Three pairs of eyes widened. "He _what_?" Granny Smith yelped.

"No way!" Apple Bloom cried.

"He really did that?" Big McIntosh asked.

"Yup, he did." She gave them all a tired smile. "Now, if ya'll don't mind, I don't really wanna talk about the details. I'd rather just go help Apple Bloom with her homework."

"Well, alrighty then, dearie..." Granny Smith replied, "but if ya _do_ need to talk, we're here for ya."

"Thanks, Granny."

* * *

><p>Applejack lay in bed in the pitch black of her room and stared at the ceiling. She'd been trying to get to sleep for the past hour, but something was bothering her.<p>

The way that Fluttershy's front legs had woven around her upper body had reminded her of that day on the mountain so long ago, when _she'd_ done the same thing to _her_. She'd felt the exact same fluttery feeling in her stomach, the exact same sense that those legs _belonged_ around her. It was crazy. Why was she feeling this way?

In fact, it felt rather like it used to back when she'd been dating Caramel. He'd cuddle her close and she'd feel safe, secure and happy. She shook her head. No, it wasn't like that, it was _stronger_. Was that weird? Fluttershy was one of her best friends, after all, but this feeling seemed to stretch in a different direction.

Groaning in confusion, she shoved away the blanket and climbed out of bed, deciding to grab a drink of water. She was quite thirsty after all that thinking.

She dragged her hooves to the door, opened it and walked down the hall. Why was it that she felt this way around Fluttershy? There had to be an explanation for it. The way she always felt so protective around her, as though she was a knight protecting his – or, rather, _her_ – damsel in distress. Fluttershy _could_ be a damsel sometimes, but she was very strong and dependable when it counted.

She smiled fondly to herself. Fluttershy was so cute. Sometimes the frightened little mouse and, sometimes, the raging bull. Even in raging bull mode, though, she'd never harm anything or anypony. She was just too kind and gentle.

_Well, heck,_ she thought, _it's almost like I have a crush on her._ Her heart thudded loudly in her chest, causing her to freeze where she stood. _A... crush?_ It thudded again and a warm feeling spread through her body, calming her mind. _Oh hay, no... Seriously?_ She couldn't explain it, but she could feel that that was the truth. She slapped a hoof to her head. "Aw, you pedalhead!"

She honestly wasn't sure if she was insulting herself for not seeing it sooner _or_ for getting a crush on one of her best _female_ friends. Since when did she like fillies?

The only thing she _did_ know was that, being the element of honesty, it would be very hard to keep this a secret for very long. What was she to do?

She sighed and continued on towards the bathroom. She'd have to figure that out another day. Right now, she just wanted some water.


	5. Amity Park

Author's note: Hey, guys!

I'm sorry this update took so long. The plotline from here has had a major refurbishing since it was first created. Not to mention, season 2 really messed up the details in my story. XD I've gone back and fixed them all now.

(The main change is that Roseluck/Rose is now Wind Whistler (EDIT: Make that Sassaflash), but there were other bits and pieces, too.)

If any more inconsistencies pop up from season 3, I will fix them accordingly.

P.S. The chapter title is actually a reference to Pokemon, although it could also be a reference to Danny Phantom, if you like. Plus, 'amity' means 'friendship'.

**Chapter Five: Amity Park**

It had been a week since Fluttershy had comforted Applejack about her now ex-boyfriend, Caramel, and the pegasus pony was currently having a picnic in the park with her five best friends. It was a pleasantly warm spring day, with the gentlest of cool breezes billowing through her pink mane, but she was uneasy.

Sipping her carton of apple juice, she glanced across the blanket at Applejack. All week, it had seemed like the earth pony had been avoiding her. Even now, she was sitting as far away from her as possible, whereas she usually sat right next to her. Why? Was it something she'd said last week? She'd considered asking many times over the week what was wrong, but had continually backed out. Despite having learned not to be a doormat all that time ago, she still hated confrontation and avoided it whenever possible, partly because of the monster she'd become that day and partly because it solved nothing. Besides, it wasn't like Applejack was directly being mean to her. She just wouldn't do that.

Was she just being paranoid? She wasn't sure, but it upset her for Applejack not to talk to her all the same. She really liked spending time around the earth pony. She couldn't explain it, but it was just nice.

"My new client is an absolute gem," Rarity said, while levitating a daisy sandwich in front of her. "She simply _loves_ my work, but isn't afraid to offer constructive criticism where necessary." She took a bite of her sandwich.

"Ooh!" Pinkie Pie replied. "What kind of gem? Is she a ruby? A sapphire?" She gasped. "Or, maybe, she's an emerald!"

"Well, I think it's great you're getting some feedback for once, Rarity," Twilight Sparkle said, while flipping a page of her book with her magic. "It's not often your customers do that for you."

"Oh, I _know_!" Rarity replied. "It's simply _delightful_ to meet somepony with a quality eye for fashion!"

"Hey, egghead!" Rainbow Dash teased, putting her front leg around Twilight Sparkle's neck. "Put that book down, will ya? There's plenty of time for you to catch up on your..." She picked the book up with her free hoof and examined the cover. "Pony Myths and Legends when you're _not_ hanging out with your friends!" She tossed the book to one side.

Twilight Sparkle looked mildly annoyed for a moment, then rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright," she replied. "I was nearly done with that chapter, anyway."

Rainbow Dash pulled away from her and flew a couple of feet into the air. "_That's_ more like it! Now, how's about you give _me_ some constructive criticism on my new moves, for when I join the Wonderbolts?"

"Rainbow Dash, this is hardly the time to-"

"Ooh, ooh!" Pinkie Pie cried. "I wanna give conductive cynicism!" She paused. "Wait... that wasn't it, was it? Well, whatever. I wanna give it!" She bounced up and down. "Pick me! Pick me!"

"Alright," Rainbow Dash replied. "Watch and learn, Pinkie Pie." She flew off to the side to practice some stunts near the ground.

"Applejack, darling," Rarity said, "you've been awfully quiet lately. How are things with Caramel?" She took another bite of her sandwich.

Fluttershy sat up straighter to listen.

Applejack looked uncomfortable. "Well..." she replied.

"Oh yeah!" Twilight Sparkle said with a smile, levitating a cookie up to her muzzle. "You haven't mentioned him for a while." She began to eat the cookie.

"Woo woo!" Pinkie Pie cried. "Go, Dashie!"

"Well, he..." Applejack replied, before clearing her throat. "He and I aren't seein each other anymore."

Rarity blinked. "You're not?" she asked.

Twilight Sparkle swallowed her rest of her cookie. "How come?" she asked, looking concerned.

"Pretty liiiights..." Pinkie Pie said.

Applejack sighed. "'Cause he got back with Sassaflash, while he was still datin _me_," she replied.

"He _what_?" Rarity screeched, the remains of her sandwich falling back onto the plate with a splat.

"You're kidding, right?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

Pinkie Pie turned to the trio. "What?" she asked. "You mean you _weren't_ sharing him?"

Applejack looked perplexed. "Now, why in tarnation would I be sharin him?" she asked.

Pinkie Pie blinked, then tilted her head. "Well, _I_ dunno. I don't question the relationships of pony folk."

Rainbow Dash came flying over. "Hold up," she said. "Am I hearing this right? Caramel _cheated_ on you?"

"Yup," Applejack replied.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Applejack," Twilight Sparkle said.

"That pig!" Rainbow Dash cried. "Somepony should show him what-for!"

"Eh, t'ain't nothing," Applejack replied. "I got over him already."

"Really?" Rarity asked. "So why the long face, then?"

Applejack glanced sideways, her vision colliding with Fluttershy's. The pegasus pony's heart jumped into her throat, but Applejack just as quickly looked away again.

"T'ain't nothing for ya'll to worry about. I'm fine. Really."

Fluttershy ducked her head. So the problem _was_ her? What did she do? What did she say? Was there anything she could do to make up for whatever it was?

"Well, if you're sure, AJ..." Rainbow Dash said, landing on the blanket next to Twilight Sparkle.

"Thank ya kindly... but I can handle this on my own."

"Well, if you ever need anything," Twilight Sparkle said, "we'll always be here for you."

"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie cried, hugging Applejack's neck. "We're not all bestest best friends for nothing, right?"

Applejack gave a weak smile. "Right," she replied. Pinkie Pie let go again and began to gobble up a few of the cookies.

"So, Pinks!" Rainbow Dash said.

Pinkie Pie looked up at her with a full mouth. "Hrn?" she asked.

"On a scale of one to awesome, just _how_ was my performance earlier?"

Pinkie Pie swallowed the cookies and grinned. "It went all the way to amazing!"

Rainbow Dash folded her front legs and looked contemplative. "... Does amazing come _before_ or _after_ awesome?"

"Oh, after, definitely!"

Rainbow Dash released her front legs and pumped a hoof. "Alright!" She turned to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, what did _you_ think?"

Fluttershy was startled by the sudden conversation. "Hmm?" she asked, straightening her head. "Oh, um... well, I wasn't really watching... Sorry..."

Rainbow Dash groaned. "Oh, come on, Fluttershy! I need more than just Pinkie Pie to tell me how I did!"

"Ya did great, sugar cube," Applejack said.

Fluttershy turned hopefully to Applejack, but noticed that she still wasn't looking at her. This saddened her.

"Yeah? You think so?"

"Absolutely."

"Awesome! Thanks, AJ, you're a pal!"

"So, Twilight," Rarity said, "where is little Spikey-wikey this afternoon, anyway?"

"Oh, he's back at the library," Twilight Sparkle replied. She levitated her carton of apple juice, took a sip of it, then put it back down again. "It's his punishment for making such a mess of the place yesterday."

Rarity giggled. "Oh, poor Spike. You'll have to make sure to save him some of these delicious leftovers."

"Maybe we could throw him a party!" Pinkie Pie cried. "It could be a sorry-you-couldn't-come-to-our-picnic-so-here's-a-party party! Or, maybe, we should throw _Applejack_ a party! It could be a sorry-your-relationship-didn't-work-out-and-hope-you-solve-whatever-problem-you're-having-but-in-the-meantime-here's-a-party party!" Everypony stared at her. She merely smiled. "I could make some chimicherrychangas. I've gotten pretty good at them, you know."

* * *

><p>Much later, after all the snacks had been eaten and the picnic supplies had been packed away, the six ponies began to head in the direction of Ponyville. Fluttershy walked behind Applejack, carefully observing the earth pony, and thought about what to do. She really needed to say something, but what? Whatever it was, it was best to do it as soon as possible.<p>

"That was a great picnic," Twilight Sparkle said.

"Indeed it was," Rarity replied. "We should do this again real soon."

Rainbow Dash flew above their heads. "Yeah and, next time, no books, Twilight!" she said with a grin.

Twilight Sparkle smiled coyly back. "Hey, I just wanted to finish my chapter," she replied.

Pinkie Pie walked backwards, next to Rarity. "Yeah, that's not a crime, Dashie," she said with a smile.

Fluttershy made a decision. Taking a deep breath, she trotted over to Applejack's side. "Hey, Applejack," she said.

Applejack glanced sideways at her, looking awfully nervous all of a sudden. "Oh, uh... hey, sugar cube..." she replied.

"Can I... talk to you? In private, maybe?"

Applejack paused for a long moment. It made Fluttershy nervous. Eventually, the earth pony heaved a sigh. "Alright." She turned to the other ponies. "Hey, girls?" Everypony stopped talking to look at her. "Me and Fluttershy have some business to attend to. Ya'll can go on without us."

They all looked at her strangely for a moment, then smiled.

"Alright, then," Twilight Sparkle replied.

"Catch you two later!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Likewise," Rarity added.

"Have fun!" Pinkie Pie said.

* * *

><p>Eventually, their four friends disappeared from the horizon on their journey back to Ponyville. Now completely alone, Fluttershy looked into Applejack's green eyes, noticing, not for the first time, that they were a very pretty colour, especially when placed against her orange coat and white freckles. That wasn't important right now, though.<p>

"Applejack?" she asked. "Did... Did I say something to offend you last week? If so, I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me..."

Applejack gave her a strange look that was somewhere between affection, concern and pain. "Ya didn't say anything to offend me, sugar cube," she replied.

Fluttershy was surprised. "I... I didn't?"

"Naw..." Applejack looked away, fidgeting with her hat. "I just... Things are kinda awkward right now and I... needed to think about some things..."

"Oh..." Fluttershy paused. "Is... this about Caramel?"

Applejack lowered her hoof to the grass and gave a dry chuckle. "Nah. I was tellin the truth when I said I'm over him." She paused. "Somethin else has been on my mind lately..." She lowered her voice. "Or rather, some_pony_..."

Fluttershy's eyes widened. "You... like somepony _else_?"

"... Yeah."

"Who is it?" Fluttershy paused, then ducked her head. "Oh! Was that too personal?"

There was a long stretch of silence as Applejack stared at her hoof and scuffed the floor with it. It was nerve-wracking.

"Actually..." Applejack looked up and straight into her eyes. The motion made her breath catch in her throat. "It... It's..."

"You... don't have to tell me, if you're uncomfortable with it..."

"No, I... I made this mistake once before, refusin to say what was botherin me. I won't put my friends through that again." She paused. "It... It's... you... Fluttershy."

"Hmm? It's..." It suddenly clicked what Applejack meant. Her eyes widened. "Wait, you mean...?"

Applejack nodded. "Mmm-hmm." She looked almost ashamed. "I realised last week that I liked ya... as a lot more than just my friend. I didn't know how you'd react, so I... tried avoidin ya. Kinda silly to do that, I know... but I really couldn't face ya, after findin out..."

Fluttershy's brain malfunctioned. Applejack liked her? As in _liked_ her liked her? But they were both fillies! _Mares_! Not to mention best friends! How could this be happening? She felt a strange warmth in her chest, which only confused her further. Was she happy about this? Or revolted? She didn't know! Nopony had ever confessed to liking her before, so _this_ was just... beyond crazy.

"I..." She turned away. "I don't..." She felt her face flush. Why? Why was she blushing? She felt like crying, she was so confused! "I'm sorry, Applejack... I'm going to have to... go away and think about this..."

"... I understand."

"... Thank you, though." She lifted herself into the air. "Bye." She headed quickly towards her cottage, not sure of anything anymore.

* * *

><p>Applejack watched Fluttershy fly home, her heart empty. She'd thought that confessing her feelings would do her good, but perhaps it would have been better to continue avoiding the pegasus pony, instead. At least then, she might have been able to force herself not to think of her that way.<p>

Now, their friendship was probably in tatters, all because she had to open her big mouth. All because she had to fall for one of her best filly friends. Turning away, she slowly headed home, wondering if there was any way to salvage what she'd ruined. Or, perhaps, one of the ponies in town knew how to travel back in time. Either option would be nice right now.


	6. Living And Loving

Author's note: Hey there! We're back for another installment of AppleShy! I hope you enjoy this pairing as much as I do, as well as this fic! Hehe.

P.S. The chapter title reminds me of the song Doctor Doctor by UFO, so I quite like it. XP

**Chapter Six: Living And Loving**

It was a few days after her big confession and Applejack felt no better. There was an awful knot in her chest that simply wouldn't go away. It made her feel nauseous and guilty whenever she so much as _thought_ about a certain yellow pegasus.

The group of six friends had met up a couple of times since the picnic, but the two of them had largely avoided one another, walking on opposite sides of the group. Nopony had noticed, of course, since they barely spoke to one another anyway, and she supposed it wasn't all that obvious that they usually stood next to one another. After all, they never did anything together that would attract attention. She was rather grateful for this, since she really couldn't deal with the hassle they would inevitably bring right now.

Instead, the two of them were hanging around ponies that they _often_ talked to, who _would_ get them noticed if they were avoiding them. _She'd_ be having her usual playful arguments with Rainbow Dash, while Fluttershy would be chatting avidly to Rarity about animals and sewing.

She was fairly sure that Fluttershy couldn't _hate_ anypony, but whatever the pegasus pony was feeling about _her_ couldn't be good. Maybe it was disgust, maybe it was awkwardness. Maybe it was both.

The Apple family had noticed that she seemed rather miserable lately – since she was usually such a jolly pony – and had confronted her about it several times. However, she had managed to use her dodging skills in the language to avoid talking to them about it, since she was physically incapable of outright lying. Fortunately, none of them were quite as persistent as Pinkie Pie, so she didn't need to loophole her way out of any more Pinkie promises.

She suddenly remembered what Fluttershy had said to her that day, the day of the desert chase. Walking along with her baskets of apples, she gave a small smile. What she'd said had been sickeningly sweet, but had struck a chord somewhere in her heart. It was the nicest thing anypony had ever said to her. Her smile slipped. Had she really meant it? It _had_ been rather over the top, almost as though she'd forced herself to say it. She shook her head, choosing not to think about it.

As much as she hated to admit it, what she needed right now was advice... but who could she ask? She didn't want to tell her friends that she liked a filly. What would they think? They were very open-minded, so they'd probably be accepting of it, but she still wasn't comfortable with the idea. As for Granny Smith and Apple Bloom, she had no idea. They were her family, so they'd be accepting, right? But, with one being old and the other being young, who knew what their values were. She was fairly sure that filly/filly romance had been largely frowned upon at some point in history and Apple Bloom was just lately starting to take an interest in colts.

She looked up suddenly and saw Big McIntosh with his own baskets full of apples heading in her direction. He was chatting happily to his girlfriend, Cheerilee, who also had baskets full of apples. Applejack gave a light smirk. She remembered the day a while back when the two of them had announced that they were dating. Apple Bloom had hidden under her bed, shaking and muttering for ten straight minutes. Eventually, they'd managed to coax her out by telling her that, no, there was no love potion involved this time. They genuinely liked one another. Once she'd been convinced, she'd come back out, quite happy about the news and immediately galloping off to tell Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

Her smirk slipped. In fact, that was one reason why Apple Bloom was so keen for _her_ to marry Caramel, once the two of them had announced that they were dating. If both her brother and her sister got married, she'd get _another_ brother and sister, both of which she knew fairly well and was quite fond of. She sighed.

"Why, hello there, Applejack!" Cheerilee said pleasantly, as she poured her apples into the cart.

"Howdy, Cheerilee," she replied.

"Workin hard, AJ?" Big McIntosh asked, pouring his apples into the cart next.

"Always am, big brother." She poured her own apples in after him, then paused as she suddenly thought of something. It was risky, but it just might work. "Say, uh... Big McIntosh? Can I talk to ya for a sec?"

Big McIntosh's eyes widened slightly. "Sure." He turned to Cheerilee. "Hey, could ya give us a minute, Lee?"

Cheerilee blinked, then a look of dawning comprehension crossed her face. "Oh!" she replied. "Why, certainly! Excuse me." She walked away. "I'll just be over there, Big Mac. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this apple-bucking business!"

"Eeeyup, that ya are." Once she was out of range, he turned back to Applejack. "What's up, AJ?"

Applejack took a deep breath, nervous as heck. Big McIntosh had the most experience with romance out of all the ponies that she was familiar with, so he was her best option right now. How he'd take the news, though, she wasn't sure.

"Well, see..." she said.

"Is this about Caramel?"

Applejack blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

A sour look crossed Big McIntosh's face. "I bumped into him yesterday."

"Ya did?"

"Eeeyup. I glared at him and got the kicked puppy eyes. Told him I ain't gonna talk to him no more, after what he did to ya."

Applejack had to smile a little at that. "Gee, thank ya, Big McIntosh, but it's alright. What happened with Caramel don't matter to me anymore."

Big McIntosh blinked. "Is that right?"

"Yup. If I see him again, no hard feelins." Her smile slipped off again. "I got bigger problems right now."

"Ya do, huh? Like what?"

Applejack gulped, looking down at her hoof while shuffling it on the floor. "Well, see... I like this... pony, but... _this pony_ is one of my be... I mean, a really close friend of mine... and, when I realised how I felt about... _this pony_, I told... _this pony_ that I liked... _this pony_." She paused, taking a deep breath. Avoiding filly pronouns was hard work. "Immediately, I knew I shouldn'ta said anything. Sh... _This pony_ looked so uncomfortable with me... _This pony_ thanked me, then ran off... and the two of us haven't spoken to each other for days. I just can't look... _this pony_ in the eyes anymore."

Big McIntosh was silent for a moment. "I see..."

She looked up at him. "Big McIntosh?"

"... So you're sayin ya like a filly? Is that it, AJ?"

Applejack's eyes widened. "H-How did-?" Catching herself, she shook her head. "I mean, what makes ya think I was talkin about a filly? I never used filly pronouns!"

"You were tryin too hard to cover yourself. I could read ya like a book."

Applejack deflated. "Aww, pony feathers..." She paused. "Are ya disappointed?"

"Disappointed? Ya like who ya like, AJ. T'ain't nothing for me to be disappointed about."

Applejack straightened in surprise. "Really?"

Big McIntosh nodded. "Eeeyup."

Applejack smiled. "Thanks, Big McIntosh."

"I also understand that it's one of your best friends? From that group of five ya hang out with, I'm guessin?"

Applejack groaned. "Was I that obvious?"

"Eeeyup. Especially since I know ya so well."

"Yeah, okay..." She paused. "So, what do ya think I should do?"

Big McIntosh paused for thought. "If ya made her feel uncomfortable, then ya should apologise."

"... Apologise for my feelins?"

"Nnnope. Apologise for making her feel uncomfortable. If she's as good a friend as ya say she is, she'll forgive ya."

"Hmm... ya may be right there... although how am I gonna face her again after what happened?"

"If she's as good a friend as ya say she is, she'll come to accept your feelins. Whether she returns em or not is _another_ matter."

Applejack smiled. "Thank ya, Big McIntosh. You've been mighty helpful."

"Sure thing, AJ."

There was silence for a few moments. "So... uh... how are things goin with Cheerilee?"

Big McIntosh looked away, slightly bashful. "Fine..."

Applejack smirked. She knew that, tucked away inside a drawer in Big McIntosh's room, the same diamond that he'd bought during the debacle with the love potion was waiting for some sort of use. She'd stumbled upon it by accident one day, while looking for something in his room. He'd gotten super defensive, saying that, since it had been so expensive, he'd thought it would be best to keep it, rather than sell it back. This had amused Applejack, especially after he'd started dating Cheerilee for real, as it was basically an earth pony's version of an engagement ring.

"Well, that's just dandy! You treat her right, now, ya hear?"

"Eeeyup..."

* * *

><p>Applejack wandered down Stirrup Street, heading towards the outskirts of Ponyville, where the cottage of a certain yellow pegasus resided. She still didn't know if she could face her, but Big McIntosh was right. Even if Fluttershy didn't feel the same way, she was far too kind to give her the cold shoulder for long. She didn't really blame her for avoiding her. It was no doubt a very awkward and confusing thing, being confessed to by one of your best friends.<p>

As she passed Sweetie Drops and Lyra Heartstrings, who were chatting to each other about the latest glamour model to come out of Manehattan, she stopped dead in shock as she saw Caramel walk out of a side street. By the time he saw her, he was right in front of her.

He stopped dead. "Applejack?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"... Hey, Caramel," she replied.

He ducked his head and scuffed his hoof on the ground. "I'm really sorry about what I did..."

"Caramel-"

"I really messed up! I shouldn't have been so selfish, but she was _right there _and I..." He sighed. "Big McIntosh was right... I don't have the right to talk to you anymore..."

Applejack smiled. "I appreciate the apology, sugar cube, but it's alright. No hard feelins."

He lifted his head, looking surprised. "Really?"

She nodded. "Mmm-hmm! What ya did was wrong, but ya acknowledged that." She walked forward a couple of steps. "You're not a bad pony. Ya just a bad decision, that's all." She paused when she realised what she'd just said.

Caramel gave a small smile of his own. "Thanks, Applejack." He stopped and looked at the sky. She followed his vision and saw Sassaflash flying past. Caramel sighed and the two of them looked back down again. "Flash dumped me... again." He took a moment to look away and continue scuffing the floor with his hoof. "It's not like I don't deserve it, though."

"Aww, Caramel..."

"Last time, it was only because we were fighting so much. She'd get super jealous if I so much as _talked_ to another filly... but..." He heaved a sigh. "I've really messed up this time. Dating two fillies at once? Gosh, I'm an idiot."

Applejack smiled again for him. "Hey, listen, Caramel... if Sassaflash truly loves ya, she'll come around. After all, you've learned your lesson, right?"

"Right..."

"If ya make sure that ya never do it again, things might not be so bad. She might, one day, find it in her heart to forgive ya."

"I guess..."

She prodded him in the chest with her hoof. "Just make sure to work on bein a better pony, okay? No more foolin around."

He looked at her, smiling bashfully. "Gosh, you're so forgiving, Applejack. How do you do it?"

She blinked in surprise at the question, lowering her hoof. "Well..." She laughed. "I guess it just comes naturally."

"Again, I'm really sorry for what I did..."

"Think nothing of it, Caramel. You're forgiven."

* * *

><p>Applejack continued onwards, smiling gently to herself about her encounter with Caramel. It brought back fond memories of their three months as a couple. As Derpy and Raindrops floated past her, talking about their latest job under the iron hoof of Crafty Crate, she reminisced about her fondest moments with her ex-boyfriend.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>Yeehaw!" Caramel cried, Applejack's hat on his head. "I'm a rootin tootin cowpony!"<em>

_Applejack laughed. "Hey!" she said. "Don't be makin fun of me, now!"_

_Caramel chuckled bashfully. "You're right, I'm sorry." He reached up a hoof. "I probably look silly in it, anyway."_

"_Nah, I'd say ya look mighty handsome in it!"_

_He rubbed one front leg against the other. "Yeah?"_

"_Yup!"_

_He put his hoof back down and glanced up the hat. "Heh, thanks, AJ."_

* * *

><p><em>It was a surprisingly hot day for March. The sun was blazing and the only relief was a cool breeze passing through. Applejack basked in the warmth as she lay on the grass in the shade of an apple tree. Caramel lay beside her, fast asleep, his coat brushing up against hers.<em>

_She watched him with a smile on her face and gave his cheek a light nuzzle. He looked so cute when he was asleep. He was making her a tiny bit warmer than was comfortable, but she didn't care. The feel of his coat against hers was soothing and beautiful._

* * *

><p>Snapping out of her trance, she noticed that the cottage was in her sights. Her heart began to pound nervously in her chest as she got closer to it. What would she say? How would she say it? Would her vocal chords freeze up when Fluttershy opened the door? What if she <em>didn't<em> open the door? What if it was Angel? Did Angel know about what had happened? What would he say to her if he did? Well, he couldn't talk, but still!

Applejack finally reached the door. Stopping in front of it, she took a deep breath. Now was the moment of truth. She lifted a hoof a brought it to the door.

She paused as she pictured Fluttershy's pretty face, with her lovely pink mane flowing down both sides, looking upset, uncomfortable and awkward.

She knew that she should do this. It was the right thing to do. Big McIntosh had been very clear about that... but she couldn't. She just couldn't bring herself to knock. Lowering her hoof, she dejectedly turned around and headed back towards Sweet Apple Acres. Some brave pony _she_ was...


	7. Plan Of Action

Author's note: Hey there! Been a while, hasn't it? Hopefully, I haven't lost too many of you to the sands of time.

Anyway... ARGH! I've had to change Caramel's girlfriend's name AGAIN! This is what I freaking get for writing a story about a background pony... Never again, man.

So, now she's called Sassaflash. Same pony, different name. Urgh.

Please enjoy. ARGH!

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter Seven<span>: Plan Of Action**

Sprawled on her back on the couch, Fluttershy continued to stare mindlessly at the ceiling. She'd been contemplating this situation with Applejack for the past week and a half and, still, she had no answers. How did she feel about her? She really didn't know and her frustration with it only grew each day.

Why couldn't she come up with an answer? She really wanted to _give_ Applejack one, both to ease the earth pony's mind and to stop her own guilt - from leaving her hanging for so long - from eating away at her insides, but she still hadn't decided. One would think it would be simple. Do I like her? Yes. No. It just _wasn't_ that simple, though. For a start, was this right? They were best friends, so wouldn't it be incredibly awkward to mold their friendship into something strange and new? Into something that was incredibly unfamilar to her? She'd never been asked out by a _colt_ before, never mind her own _female_ friend!

She certainly cared about Applejack very much, to the point where she'd given her an unbelievably sappy speech about holes in hearts the day of the desert chase. The strange thing was, although she'd never said anything anywhere _close_ to that to any _other_ pony, she'd meant every single word of it.

In fact, various other memories were similar to this, in that she hadn't reacted the same way she would've done if it had been any other pony. Way back in that one applebuck season, Applejack had snapped at her, but she'd calmly brushed it off, as though it hadn't even happened. She'd just been too excited about the earth pony helping her with the baby bunnies at the time to even care.

She also hadn't been the least been offended when Applejack had commented on her 'freaky knowledge of sewing' the day they'd finished Rarity's gala dress for her. If anything, she'd seen it as more of compliment. It was strange.

Then there was the time when the two of them had played catch with a balloon at Pinkie Pie's birthday party. It wasn't a game that Fluttershy normally played, but, when Applejack had bounced the balloon over to her, she'd felt compelled to bounce it back.

In fact, even _before_ they'd started climbing the mountain to the dragon's lair, she'd hidden behind Applejack. Why? Even _she_ didn't know. At that point in time, the comforting cuddle hadn't even happened yet. There'd just been something about the earth pony that had made her feel safe.

Way back in the Iron Pony Competition, she'd noticed that Rainbow Dash had been cheating. A part of her had wanted to scold her fellow pegasus pony, but another part had insisted that it had been none of her business. Her cowardice had bothered her for ages afterwards when she'd seen how angry Applejack had been about it.

The night of the Grand Galloping Gala had been interesting, for more than one reason. While they'd been getting ready, she'd looked at her hoof and realised that it needed a hooficure. She'd been about to ask Rarity, but, upon seeing Applejack, had asked _her_ instead. To this day, she still didn't know why. Hooficures weren't exactly Applejack's specialty, although she'd really tried to do a good job on it and it had felt strangely nice having _her_ do it. The spit polish afterwards had been rather unwelcome, but it had, otherwise, been very nice. Maybe, if she ever got another hooficure from her, she'd ask her to hold the saliva.

Then there was the day when they'd all gotten 'discorded', as she liked to call it. It was rather odd, but she could recall her discorded self belittling and bullying Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Spike - and she, somehow, _knew_ that she would have done the same to Rainbow Dash, had she been around - but she'd done absolutely nothing to Applejack. In fact, she could vaguely recall _still_ walking beside her at one point, as if her discorded self hadn't even _thought_ to bully her. She'd even tossed Twilight Sparkle's book straight to _her_ in their game of keep-away, so it wasn't as if she hadn't noticed the earth pony's existence.

One of her fondest memories was singing alongside Applejack in the Hearth's Warming Eve carol, their front legs around each other and their bodies close.

She heaved a sigh and rolled over, still not sure what to think. Glancing to her side, she saw Angel, whom she'd already confessed all of her problems to. Maybe it hadn't been a great idea, but she'd needed someone to vent to. Since Angel wasn't able to talk, there was, at least, no chance of him telling anypony else about what she'd said.

"Oh, what am I gonna do, Angel?" she asked him. "I still can't make up my mind about this..." Angel sighed. Folding his arms and frowning in thought, he looked around the room. "She needs an answer soon..." She buried her face in her cushion. "I just don't know what to tell her..." Suddenly, the couch vibrated. She looked up. "Hmm?" Glancing down, she saw that Angel was kicking the leg of the couch. "What's wrong, Angel?" He pointed up at the wall. "Hmm?"

She looked up to see what he was pointing at and blinked. There was a photograph of all six pony friends gathered together in the town square. Getting off the couch, she walked over to it. All six of them were posing for the camera that Spike had been holding and Fluttershy was standing next to Applejack. The sight of the earth pony made a whirlpool of emotions rise in her chest. Lifting a hoof, she gently placed it below the photograph, just underneath Applejack.

Suddenly, Angel coughed loudly. Startled, Fluttershy lowered her hoof and looked back at him. "Yes? What is it, Angel?" He scowled and pointed twice at the photograph. Confused, she looked back at it. There she was, surrounded by Applejack and her four other friends. She paused for a long moment, then it hit her. "Oh! My friends!" She raised her hoof and placed it underneath the photograph again. "I could... ask them for help!" She turned to glance at Angel, who was nodding enthusiastically at her. She smiled. "They might be able to give me advice!" She lowered her hoof to the ground. "Oh, Angel, you're a genius!" Angel folded his arms, looking smug. "Okay! I'm going to go find them and ask them for advice!" She galloped to the door and opened it. "Be a good bunny while I'm gone, okay?" Angel nodded. "Okay, love you! Bye!" She dashed out, closing the door behind her.

* * *

><p>As she wandered through the streets of Ponyville, Fluttershy pondered who to talk to. Which of the four of them would be the best pony to ask? She really wasn't sure. Maybe she should just ask each of them in turn, but which one should she start with? Whichever one she ran into first, she supposed. Just where <em>were<em> they all today, anyway? It just figured that, when you really needed somepony, they were nowhere to be found.

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash loved her lazy afternoons. Lounging on a cloud, after a long morning of clearing the skies, she felt content and relaxed. There was nothing like a good old nap to clear the system of stress. Opening her eyes for a moment, she idly gazed downwards. Her eyes shot open when she saw a certain yellow pegasus walking by.<p>

She jumped up and hovered in the air. "Hey, Fluttershy!" she said, before zooming over to her friend.

Fluttershy stopped in her tracks, looking surprised for a moment. "Oh!" she replied. "Hi, Rainbow Dash."

She landed on the ground in front of her. "What's up? Going somewhere today?

"Oh, well, yes... um..." Fluttershy paused. "I kind of need help with something."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Is it alright if I talk to _you_ about it? If you're not too busy, that is."

"Sure thing! What do you need help with?"

"Well..." Fluttershy looked away and scuffed her hoof on the ground.

Rainbow Dash blinked as an image of Dumb-Bell, Hoops and Score entered her mind. "Wait..." She frowned. "You're not getting bullied again, are you?"

Fluttershy looked up at her. "Hmm?"

She lifted herself into the air. "'Cause, if you _are_, I'll _totally_ give 'em what-for!" She smirked and swung her front hooves around. "I'll give 'em the old left hoof and beat their rumps _right_ into next week!"

"Oh... no... Thank you, but... that's not the problem..."

She blinked, lowering herself back to the ground. "It's not?"

"No..."

"So, what's up? Need help taking care of your animals? I'm not much of an animal pony, but..." Almost on cue, her pet tortoise, Tank, flew over and crashed into her head. She took a moment to get her bearings back. "Tank's the only animal I'm used to looking after... but even _he's_ a handful, sometimes..." She glared at Tank, who smiled apologetically before flying off.

"Oh, no, that's not it..."

"Oh. Well, what is it, then? Spit it out, Fluttershy!"

"Well..." Fluttershy took a deep breath, then released it. "I need advice on something."

She raised an eyebrow. "Advice?"

"Yes." There was a pause. "I... got confessed to a while ago..."

She blinked, processing this information. "Wait... what? You mean..." Fluttershy nodded in response. Greatly intrigued and amused, a grin spread across Rainbow Dash's face. "You..." She lifted herself into the air again. "A colt told you that he had a crush on you?" Fluttershy flinched, but nodded. Rainbow Dash started laughing. "Wow! Way to _go_, Fluttershy! So, what did you tell him?"

"Um... well... that's kinda the problem, actually..."

"... Huh?"

Fluttershy took another deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then started talking really fast. "This pony told me how she felt about me and it was really flattering, but, at the same time, really confusing, so I said I'd think it over, but it's been a week and a half and I still haven't given her an answer! And I feel really guilty about it, because she's really nice and deserves to have some sort of answer, but I just don't know what to say! So I really need help giving her an answer! Oh, it's just so frustrating, I could scream!"

Rainbow Dash blinked once, twice, then shook her head to clear it. "Wait... 'she'?"

Flutteshy's head snapped up and her face turned pink. "Hmm?"

"You said 'she'... so, the pony who confessed to you... was a filly?"

Fluttershy ducked her head in clear embarrassment. "Um..." There was a long pause. "Y... Yes?"

Rainbow Dash felt something bubbling inside her at the revelation. Her insides began to spasm and her mouth began to twitch. Eventually, she couldn't hold it any longer and burst out laughing.

"Oh, my _gosh_! That is _priceless_! A filly confessed to liking you!" She fell out of the air in her laughter.

"Rainbow Dash..."

She looked up excitedly. "Who was it? Do I know her? Oh, man, this is _gold_!"

Fluttershy gave her a disapproving frown, her face bright red. "It's not funny, Rainbow Dash!"

"Are you kidding? It's _hilarious_!" She fell over laughing again. "I wouldn't have taken _you_ for a _filly magnet_!"

"Ohhhh... that's why I need help with my answer!"

She stopped laughing and observed her friend, who was frowning at the ground. "Okay, sorry, sorry..." She climbed back to her hooves, holding back a snigger. "But what makes you think _I_ can help you with this?"

Fluttershy looked at her. "Hmm?"

"I mean... I'm not exactly experienced in the field of love confessions! Especially not ones from other filles." Fluttershy looked back at the ground. "I dunno, say whatever you _want_ to her. Yes, I like you. No, I don't. Nopony else can tell you how you feel."

"Well... yes, but..."

"Look, I don't think I can help you. Maybe ask somepony else, but, in the end, it's _your_ choice, not _ours_."

"I guess..."

"So, go on. Go decide whether or not you wanna date this filly." She sniggered, but tried to hold it back as she ascended into the air. "Let me know how it goes, okay?"

"... Okay..."

"See ya, Fluttershy!"

"Bye..." Fluttershy began walking away.

Rainbow Dash landed back on her cloud. She began snuggling into the cottony texture when she paused to watch Fluttershy leave. She wasn't sure why, but she had a niggling feeling in her stomach that she hadn't quite handled that right...

After a few moments, she shrugged and closed her eyes for another nap. It could wait until after she'd woken up.


	8. Between The Lines

Author's note: Hello again!

... Now, I'm aware of what happens in the season 3 finale. I'm also aware that, the way things currently stand, that episode greatly screws up my fic. We won't go into my feelings on that, though, otherwise we'll be here all day...

Instead, I'll say that, for now, I'll keep the story as it is, at least until I see the direction that season 4 takes. Maybe I'll fix the details as they come, or maybe this will be an AU.

Either way, please enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter Eight<span>: Between The Lines**

Fluttershy continued dragging her hooves around Ponyville, lost in her thoughts. What Rainbow Dash had said was true - she knew that - but her head was still drowning in her conflicting emotions. What she wanted - what she _needed_, desperately - was advice. Any sort of advice would do. She just needed, once and for all, to know how she felt about Applejack. It may _well_ be a pointless endevour, but it was the best plan she had right now. It was the _only_ plan she had right now.

Looking up, she was midly surprised to see that she'd walked all the way to Golden Oaks Library. Taking a breath to steel herself, she walked over and knocked.

* * *

><p>Twilight Sparkle looked up from her writing at the sound of light tapping on the door.<p>

"Hmm?" she asked. "Who could _that_ be?"

"I'll get it!" Spike called out, dashing past her. After a moment, the door opened. "Oh, hey, Fluttershy!"

"Hello, Spike," Fluttershy replied.

Twilight Sparkle turned to her friend with a smile, her quill still hovering by her head. "Hey, Fluttershy!" she said. She placed the quill back in its ink pot. "Nice of you to drop by!" She walked over to the yellow pegasus as Spike let her in. "I was just working on a research paper on the various theories surrounding pony afterlife. It's pretty challenging, but really fun."

"Fun for _her_, at least..." Spike muttered.

"Oh..." Fluttershy said, "well, if you're busy, I can always come back some other time..."

"Nonsense!" Twilight Sparkle replied. "Now, what's up?"

"Well..."

Spike closed the door behind her. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, nothing's wrong... I just..." Fluttershy paused, glancing at the baby dragon.

Twilight Sparkle caught the glance. "Would you prefer Spike to leave the room?" she asked.

"Huh?" Spike asked.

"Oh! No..." Fluttershy replied. "I couldn't ask him to do _that_..."

"This sounds serious, Twi..."

"I agree," Twilight Sparkle replied. "Fluttershy, what's wrong?"

"Well..." Fluttershy breathed deeply. "I got confessed to."

Twilight Sparkle's eyes widened in surprise. "... You did?"

"Yes..."

"Oh... Oh!" She laughed in relief. "Well, congratulations! Do you like him back?"

"That's the problem..."

"Oh... you _don't_ like him back?"

"No... I mean, yes... I mean..." Fluttershy heaved a sigh. "I don't know..."

"Who is he?" Spike asked.

"Well..." There was a long pause.

"Hmm..." Twilight Sparkle said. "So, you don't know if you like him back... So... what did you need _me_ for?"

"Actually, I was hoping you could give me some advice..."

Twilight Sparkle's eyes shone. "Advice?"

Spike laughed. "You're asking Twilight for love advice?" he asked. "Pfft, good luck with _that_."

"Well, I..." Fluttershy muttered.

"Spike!" Twilight Sparkle cried. "Now, this may not be my field of expertise, but my friend has come here, asking for advice... and, as a good friend, I am _not_ about to let her down!"

"Thank you, Twilight..."

"It's my pleasure." She suddenly remembered something. "In fact, I have the perfect book for the occasion!" She wandered over to her bookshelf, thought for a moment about where it was, then levitated it down to eye level. She walked back over to Fluttershy and held it out for her. "Here we go!"

Fluttershy read the cover. "'The Pedalhead's Guide To Romance'..."

"... Why do you _have_ that book, Twilight?" Spike asked.

Twilight Sparkle felt a tinge of heat rise to her cheeks. "I was saving it for a rainy day..." she replied, "you know, just in case I ever found myself with a crush, or an admirer..."

"That's perfect, Twilight," Fluttershy said with a smile. "Thank you."

"No problem!" She turned the book around and flipped through the pages. "Let's see here... 'Confessing Your Feelings'... No... No... Ah, here we go! 'If the one doing the confessing is the _other_ pony, please proceed to the relevant section'..." She scanned the pages. "'From A Stranger'... 'From A Crush'... 'From A Friend'... 'From An Enemy'."

"I can't believe you're seriously doing this..." Spike muttered.

She looked up at Fluttershy. "So, which one's the relevant section?"

Fluttershy blushed. "Oh..." she replied, "well, um... a friend..."

"A friend, huh?" Spike asked. "Do we know him?"

"Well... kind of..."

"Who is he?"

"Spike, stop bugging Fluttershy," Twilight Sparkle said. "If she doesn't wanna tell us who the colt is, then just let it lie."

"Aww, come on, Twi..."

"Now then..." She cleared her throat, then continued to read from the book. "'If a friend has confessed to you, then you may be feeling a whirlwind of emotions, especially if you have never considered him in this way before. This is particularly true if the colt in question is your _best_ friend, or somepony you have grown up with. What you need to do is stop and ask yourself, "Could I ever see him being my special somepony?" If the answer is either 'yes' or 'maybe', please proceed to the relevant section. If the answer is 'no', be sure to let him down gently, then take the necessary steps to preserve your friendship. See 'The Pedalhead's Guide To Friendship' for more information.'" She looked up at Fluttershy. "Well, what do you think? _Could_ you?"

Fluttershy paused for a few moments. "Maybe..." she replied.

She looked back down at the book, turning to the correct section. "'Giving Him A Chance... If you have reached this stage, then you have decided to test the waters and see if you and your friend are compatible in a relationship. What you need to do now is spend a lot of time alone together, as a couple, rather than as friends. The types of activities depend on personal preference, although the decision should always be mutual. Delve deeper into his personality and get to know him in ways that you may or may not have considered before. Try out new, more _romantic_ activities, if you feel it would help. Eventually, you should be able to decide whether or not the relationship feels natural to you. If it does, congratulations. If it does not, commiserations. Trust your heart to guide you down the right path.'" She looked up with a smile. "Was that helpful?"

Fluttershy blinked at her. "Oh... well... I guess so..."

"Pfft!" Spike said. "Yeah, about as helpful as sandpaper, for putting out a match."

"Hush, Spike!" Twilight Sparkle said.

"Well, I still don't think I can give her an answer yet..." Fluttershy said, "but I'm a _little_ closer now..."

"Well, that's great! I wish you the best of luck, Flutter... Wait... did you say 'her'?"

Fluttershy blushed. "Oops... I-I mean..."

"You... _did_ mean 'him', right?" Spike asked.

"Um..." Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane. "No..."

Twilight Sparkle blinked. "Oh..." she replied. "Well... can't say I was expecting _that_..."

"Me neither..." Spike said. He paused for a long moment. "Not sure if disturbed or intrigued..."

Suddenly realising something, Twilight Sparkle looked back at the book that was still levitating in front of her. "Wait a minute..."

"Hmm?" Fluttershy asked.

"So... if it was a _filly_ that confessed to you..." She flipped madly through the pages, looking desperately for something. "Oh no..."

"What is it, Twi?" Spike asked.

"That means this book is no good!" She turned it over to look at the cover. "This is only for colt/filly romance!" She tossed the book across the room and galloped over to her bookshelves, then began levitating books down to eye level, one after the other. She looked at the cover of one. "No." She tossed it away and looked at another. "No." She tossed it away and looked at another. "No. _Aurgh_!" All the books fell to the floor in her frustration. "I have no books for filly/filly love at _all_! Anything even _remotely_ romance-related only talks about colts!" She began to dance around in agitation. "I don't have any books on this! _Why_ don't I have any books on this?"

"Twilight, calm down!"

"How can I be _calm_? My friend needs my help and I just spent the last five minutes giving her the wrong advice! Oh, what do I _do_?"

"Is it not the same thing?"

"How can it be the same thing? There's a difference between colt/filly romance and filly/filly romance!"

"And what's that?"

"How should _I_ know? I don't have any books on the latter!" She stopped dancing around. "I need to write to Princess Celestia and ask her to send me some filly/filly books!" She paused. "But what if she starts asking questions? She's gonna wanna know why I'm suddenly asking for filly/filly books! No, that'd get far too awkward. Maybe I should just go to the Canterlot library myself and get them." She paused again. "But what if she sees me and asks what I'm doing? What if she sees the books I'm taking out? No, I'll just have to buy some from somewhere... maybe get them shipped in from Fillydelphia."

"I think you're overreacting, Twilight..."

"I am not overreacting!"

"Um..." Fluttershy said, "maybe I should just go..."

"Oh, Fluttershy, I am _so_ sorry!" Twilight Sparkle said. "I really wanted to help, but I _really_ messed up! Don't worry, though, 'cause I'll get some filly/filly books shipped in from Fillydelphia and, then, I'll be able to give you some _proper_ advice!"

"Um, okay..." Fluttershy slowly walked over to the door and opened it.

"So..." Spike said, "I guess I'll see ya around, Fluttershy..." He paused. "And good luck with... you know..."

"Thanks..." She closed the door behind her.

As Twilight Sparkle watched her friend leave, a heavy feeling encased her heart. Somehow, she knew that she'd either said or done something wrong. Although, at the moment, she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. Something in her heart told her that she hadn't been as good a friend as she _should_ have been...

Shaking it off, she decided to worry about it later. Right now, she had something important to do.

"Alright, Spike," she said, "time to order those books!" She paused. "Now, how exactly _do_ I get things shipped in from Fillydelphia?"


	9. Fantasy

Author's note: Hi there!

... For some reason, this was a tricky chapter to write. A lot of dialogue got altered in an attempt to stay true to the character, so I hope it's okay.

Man, I hate writing fics on my ipad. It's so much more of a hassle than on a computer. Ah well. Please enjoy!

EDIT: I completely forgot to add a song I'd intended to put in this chapter! *clonk* Well, it's in here now.

The lyrics are to be sung to the tune of 'Dazed and Confused' by Jake Holmes. The two sections are based off the first and last verses in the song.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter Nine<span>: Fantasy**

Fluttershy sighed as she continued to drag her hooves around Ponyville. Her visit to Twilight Sparkle had helped a _little_, but not nearly enough. Why was it that everypony so far was giving her bad advice?

Okay, that was a little mean of her. She knew they were trying their best and, since none of them had any experience on the matter, their best was all they could give. She just wished they understood what she was going through. Although, every time the subject of the confessor being female came up, they reacted badly to it. Well, maybe not badly, but certainly unfavourably.

As she passed by Rose, Lily Valley and Daisy - who were swapping various gardening tips with each other - she sighed again. Would she ever be able to come up with an answer for Applejack? She wanted so badly to give her one, so she was starting to hate herself - just a little - for not coming up with one.

"I'm dazed and confused~!" she sang. "Is it 'yes'? Is it 'no'~? Your ego is bruised... I'm sure _you'd_ like to know-ooh-whoa-oh~!" Turning to her side, she spotted a window. Pausing in her tracks, she stared at her reflection. "Yeah, I'm dazed and confused and it's all upside do-o-o-own~! Your ego is bruised~! I'm just wandering around..."

After a moment, she looked away from the window, about to continue her journey when she suddenly noticed Rarity heading in her direction. The white unicorn was using her magic to carry a large variety of clothing material, all of which was separated into fancy bags. She was humming a pleasant tune to herself when she suddenly spotted the pegasus.

"Why, hello, Fluttershy!" she said, walking over to stop in front of her. "What a pleasure it is to see you this fine afternoon!"

"Hi, Rarity," Fluttershy replied. "What are you up to?"

"Oh, I just got a new shipment of materials for my next clothes line. Once I create them, their fabulosity will _shine_ throughout the streets of Manehatten!"

"Manehatten? Gosh."

"Oh, I _know_! There are many ponies in that city with rather... exquisite taste in fashion, if I do say so, myself." She flipped her mane with her hoof.

"Yeah... " Fluttershy paused a moment. "Rarity? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"But of course, darling! What is it?"

"Well..."

Rarity held up a hoof. "Actually, hold that thought. Do you mind terribly if we speak in the store? I would like to put my baggage down."

"Oh, okay. No, I don't mind."

"Fabulous. Let us not waste any time, then!" Rarity trotted past her.

"Okay." Fluttershy trotted after her.

* * *

><p>Rarity closed the door to Carousel Boutique, flipped the sign to 'Open' with her hoof, then trotted over to the nearby table, where she immediately put down her materials.<p>

Opalescence took that moment to wander into the room. "Mreow!" she said.

"Oh, hello, Opal," Fluttershy replied.

Opalescence wandered over to her and began nuzzling her leg. "Prrrr..."

"I see Opal is as fond of you as ever," Rarity said with an amused smile. She walked over and stood in front of Fluttershy. "Now, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh, well, see..." Fluttershy glanced at the door. "Nopony's going to come in, are they? It's kind of... private."

Rarity blinked at her. "My, this sounds rather serious... Very well." She walked over to the door and flipped the sign back to 'Closed'. Walking back into her original position, she stared at Fluttershy. "Now, whatever is the matter?"

Fluttershy took a deep breath, then released it. "I... got confessed to."

Rarity blinked, then blinked again. "Wait... you...?"

"Got confessed to..."

"... _What_?"

Opalescence jumped with a yelp.

Fluttershy winced. "Um..."

Rarity zoomed over and grabbed Fluttershy's face with her front hooves. "You got _confessed to_? As in... by a _colt_?"

"Um... yes?"

She let go of Fluttershy's face. "Oh, you lucky _thing_, you! I have always _dreamed_ of the day that a handsome colt would confess to _me_... but, alas..." She paused dramatically. "My, my... first Applejack and now you! Can you believe this, Opal?"

"Mreow..." Opalescence replied.

"Oh, I _know_! That's just what _I_ was thinking! Perhaps I need to up my game, if I am to get a confessor of my own... Perhaps a new style of fashion is in order... something glamorous and eye-catching... yet understated." She paused again. "Ooh, I am so jealous right now that you cannot comprehend it, Fluttershy! So who _is_ the gent? Is it perhaps somepony I know?"

"Well... kind of..."

"Oh, I simply _must_ hear all the juicy details! So, what did you say when he confessed to you?"

"Well, see... that's the problem..."

"Oh?"

"I didn't know what to say, so I told... him... that I'd think it over..."

Rarity paused in disbelief. "You did _what_?"

Fluttershy winced again. "Um..."

"A colt confessed his undying love for you and you did nothing about it?"

"Well, 'love' might be a bit..."

"Darling, these things don't happen often, you know! I, myself, can attest to this... as I am a perfectly eligible - and rather refined - mare... yet I remain without a handsome colt of my own! How this came to be is a mystery, indeed."

"Well, I..."

"Fluttershy, if life hands you a present, you don't turn it down, unless you find it positively ghastly!" Rarity paused. "Was he positively ghastly?"

"Well, no, but..."

"Well, there you have it! You should welcome him into your loving embrace! Let him whisper sweet nothings in your ear... and bring you flowers and chocolates every day... before he sweeps you off your hooves and rides into the sunset with you on his back..."

There was a pause. "Um, Rarity?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, darling. I zoned out for a moment there... Anyway, yes, I don't see why you can't give the fellow a chance! If _I_ was in your horseshoes, I would do the very same!"

"I guess..."

"... Whatever is the matter, darling? You don't seem very convinced."

"Well... you see... it's just that..." Fluttershy heaved a sigh, then mumbled something.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"She... she's a filly..."

Rarity blinked in confusion. "She's a..." Her eyes widened in realisation. "Oh... Ohhhh..." She paused, then cleared her throat. "I see..."

"And that's where the problem lies... See, I don't wanna hurt her feelings, but I don't know what to say, either..."

Rarity paused again. "Well, it's simple, darling. Just let her down gently."

Fluttershy's head snapped up. "Huh?"

"Tell her that you're not into that sort of thing... though you appreciate the attention she bestowed upon you."

"B... But..."

"Let her know that you are still friends... and that you mean no ill will by turning down her affections."

"But what if I...?"

"What if you what, darling?"

"Well..."

"... Returned her feelings?" Fluttershy nodded in response. Rarity chuckled. "If you returned her feelings, we wouldn't be _having_ this conversation, would we?"

"I guess not, but..."

"If she is a true friend, she will understand."

"... Alright..."

Rarity watched Fluttershy's sad face for a moment. "... Oh, don't worry about it, dear! Once this whole mess is sorted out, you can head out into the world and find yourself a nice handsome colt! I certainly plan to do so myself." Rarity paused. "In fact, why don't we search for them _together_! I can design us both some _dazzling_ new outfits and we can wow the town with them! The colts will be falling at our hooves in no time! Isn't that right, Opal?"

"Mreow..." Opalescence replied.

"I guess..." Fluttershy said.

"Well, I _know_. I have already garnered at least ten new ideas for ensembles from this very conversation alone~!"

Fluttershy gave a small smile. "That's great, Rarity."

"_Isn't_ it? We will look simply _fabulous_! All the colts... no, all the _stallions_ will be able to resist us no longer!"

"Yeah... Listen, I gotta go..."

"So soon, darling? Well, I suppose I do need to open up shop now, so I will let you get on with your day!"

"Thanks, Rarity." Fluttershy walked over to the door and opened it.

"Fluttershy?"

The pegasus turned to her. "Hmm?"

"Don't worry about that filly. Like I said, she will understand."

"... Yeah, thanks... Bye, Rarity."

"Bye, darling."

Fluttershy walked out and closed the door behind her.

Rarity spent a few moments staring at the door. She wasn't sure why, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about what she'd said. Was it the right thing to say? Fluttershy hadn't seemed too happy about the answer she'd given her...

"Mreow..." Opalescence said, giving her a displeased look.

She pondered it for a moment, then shook her head. She'd have to think about it later. Right now, she had fabulous outfits to sell! Nodding to herself, she walked over to the door and flipped the sign back to 'Open'. She was ready for another day of business.


End file.
